Ubisoft take DRM to the next level by shipping Rocksmith without activation keys

Oh, Ubisoft . Just when you thought it was safe to play one of the publisher's PC games - in this case, the delayed PC version of their delayed Rocksmith music game - they've only gone and 'pulled a Ubisoft' by forgetting to include activation codes in some copies of the game. Internet: now would be the perfect time to bust out that 'Picard facepalm' meme.

As Kotaku reports , several customers who've bought retail copies of the game have found that the disc comes without a CD key ; Ubisoft has responded by asking for store details and an image of the receipt from those affected. Some people, at least, are now rocking out in Rocksmith, but the thread is still full of angry consumers - as is the game's UK Amazon page . As an olive branch, Ubisoft are giving affected customers a free 'Guitarcade timesaver' download, "which gives players instant access to all the Rocksmith mini-games." So when you finally get to play the game, you won't need to actually play it to unlock anything. OK.

If you've bought Rocksmith and found yourself without a code, you can find Ubisoft's support article here. Let us know how you get on in the comments.

Update - we asked Ubisoft for a response and they provided a full statement, reiterating many of the points above, as follows:

"We're aware that some physical copies of the PC version of Rocksmith in EMEA territories have been shipped without the needed unique activation code. Any consumers that are affected should contact their local Ubisoft consumer support at www.support.ubi.com or by dialing 0871 664 1000 to receive their code. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will provide any affected consumers with the "Guitarcade timesaver," which gives players instant access to all the Rocksmith mini-games."

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Tom loves exploring in games, whether it’s going the wrong way in a platformer or burgling an apartment in Deus Ex. His favourite game worlds—Stalker, Dark Souls, Thief—have an atmosphere you could wallop with a blackjack. He enjoys horror, adventure, puzzle games and RPGs, and played the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VIII with a translated script he printed off from the internet. Tom has been writing about free games for PC Gamer since 2012. If he were packing for a desert island, he’d take his giant Columbo boxset and a laptop stuffed with PuzzleScript games.